A brave musician from south Bucks ran back through a burning building to help carry an elderly man down the stairs after his New Year’s Eve party in Germany turned to disaster.

Ben McKelvey, 26, who lives in Beaconsfield, didn’t have a care in the world when he was partying at a top floor apartment in Berlin, but when one of his friends realised the roof of the building was engulfed with flames he had to scramble to help get everyone out to safety.

Worried people in the street had been ringing the doorbells to all the apartments in the building to try and warn everyone inside, but with their music playing loudly they were unaware of the imminent danger.

However, when Paul Nagle – who also lives in Beaconsfield and is a close friend of Ben - smelt smoke, a mad dash for the exit ensued, with Ben staying behind to make sure everyone got out.

Speaking to the Bucks Free Press, Ben described how he was on his way out of the building when firefighters stormed in screaming to him to get out.

However, when he heard the shout of one of his friends he ran back into danger and found her trying to help an elderly man out of bed.

The two of them were then able to carry the man down three flights of stairs and onto the main road, before it was too late.

He said: “It wasn’t just me knocking on doors trying to wake people up, everyone helped, which was incredible considering the language barrier.

“I don’t think any of us realised how bad it was but you could see when we got outside the whole top floor was just on fire.”

He added: “Looking back it was quite scary, and I’m sure people will say it could have ended a lot worse for me, but I heard my friend shouting and I just instinctively felt I had to go back up to help.

“At the time I didn’t know what she was doing but we both helped to get him out of bed and carry him over our shoulders down the stairs as he was unable to walk by himself. Looking back it is incredible no-one died.”

The blaze ripped through the whole of the top floor and Ben said had they still been in there five minutes later, it would have been a very different story.

Both he and his friend Heidrun, who helped carry the man out of the building, were physically sick after breathing in the thick smoke, with all people from inside the building then guided into a cafe as firefighters evacuated the street.

Paul who first raised the alarm said: “The apartment was burning and [there was] still no sight of Ben and my other friend [Heidrun], who had gone back up the stairs after they heard voices.

“I called Ben and said he needed to get out of there now, but he was helping people get out of their apartments.

“At this point the fire was in full swing so I repeatedly called Ben with no answer.

“They emerged a couple of minutes later carrying an old man who couldn’t walk from his apartment and quite possibly saved his life.”

Ben is now hoping to raise money for those who lost items it the fire. If you would like to donate, please visit www.gofundme.com/berlinfire